NFL Player News

The Colts are expected to trade Allen to the Patriots, ESPN's Adam Schefter reports.

It's unclear what the Patriots will give up in the anticipated deal, but assuming the move is completed, we'd expect that it paves the way for the departure of Martellus Bennett via free agency. Allen is coming off a 2016 season in which he caught 35 passes for 406 yards and six TDs in 14 games for Indy. With the Patriots he'd provide the team with both valuable insurance for, as well as a complementary option to, oft-injured tight end Rob Gronkowski.

Duarte signed an exclusive rights contract with the Dolphins on Wednesday, Omar Kelly of the Florida Sun-Sentinel reports.

Duarte didn't appear in any games as an undrafted rookie with the Dolphins in 2016, though he was on the active roster for a few weeks. He'll look to make the opening week roster and see some on-field action in 2017.

New head coach Anthony Lynn said he plans to use Henry and Antonio Gates together, but the frequency with which the team uses two-tight end formations will depend on the opponent, Chargers.com reports.

The 22-year-old Henry flashed tremendous upside as a rookie, turning his 53 targets into 36 catches for 478 yards (13.3 YPR, 9.0 YPT) and eight touchdowns. Meanwhile, Gates had 53 catches for 548 yards and seven touchdowns on 92 targets (10.3 YPR, 6.0 YPT), largely relying on red-zone volume for his production. Henry has a real shot to overtake Gates as the team's No. 1 tight end in 2017, offering a far higher ceiling than his aging counterpart. Either way, both players figure to be significantly involved in the Philip Rivers-led passing attack.

Supernaw will not receive a restricted free agent tender from the Titans, Jason Wolf of the Tennessean reports.

Not receiving a tender means that Supernaw will become an unrestricted free agent on Thursday. He had four receptions for 62 yards last season, both of which were career highs for the six-year veteran. Wherever he signs, he shouldn't be looked to for much fantasy value.

Christian was released by Buffalo on Monday.

Christian had just one reception for 14 yards after being promoted to the Bills' active roster in December of the 2016 season. Wherever he signs, he shouldn't be expected to have much fantasy value in 2017.

Kelce underwent offseason shoulder surgery, Terez A. Paylor of The Kansas City Star reports. "He'll probably miss some time throughout the offseason, but he'll be ready, I believe, for camp," head coach Andy Reid said of the tight end Wednesday.

Calling the procedure a clean-up, Reid replied, "I don't think so," as it pertains to a significant injury. As for the timetable mentioned, it's unclear if Kelce will be healthy in time for minicamp or training camp, which are separated by approximately six weeks on the NFL calendar. No matter the precise date that he's cleared for all activity, it appears as if he'll enter the 2017 season intact. If so, Kelce will be aiming to improve his number of catches, target count, and receiving yardage for the fourth straight campaign.

Malleck (neck) signed a contract with the Steelers on Wednesday, Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Malleck spent training camp with the Giants in 2016 before suffering a neck injury and being released just prior to the start of the regular season. He'll have an opportunity to compete for a depth role as a tight end and special teams player in Pittsburgh in 2017.

Donnell will not be re-signed by the Giants this offseason, NFL Network's Mike Garafolo reports.

Donnell has spent all four of his professional seasons with the Giants, but he's failed to build on his faux-breakthrough 2014 campaign that included 63 catches for 623 yards and six touchdowns. In fact, besides that season, the 28-year-old boasts just 47 catches for 346 yards and three scores in his career. While missing 10 games over the past two seasons has contributed toward that decline in production, Donnell is nonetheless now slated to resume his career elsewhere in 2017.

Griswold signed a reserve/future contract with the Falcons on Tuesday, Kelsey Conway of the team's official site reports.

Griswold spent part of last offseason with the Colts, but was waived by the team before the beginning of the preseason due to an undisclosed injury. Almost a year later and the tight end now has another chance to keep his NFL dream alive. Levine Toilolo and Jacob Tamme (shoulder) are both slated to be unrestricted free agents this offseason, which could boost Griswold's stock as he competes for a spot on the final 53-man roster.

Hooper brought in three of six targets for 32 yards and a touchdown in the Falcons' 34-28 Super Bowl LI overtime loss to the Patriots.

The 2016 third-round pick led the Falcons in targets and brought in a 19-yard touchdown in the second quarter, giving Atlanta a 14-0 lead at the time. Hooper thus wraps up a rookie campaign in which he turned in a modest 19 receptions (on 27 targets) for 271 yards and three touchdowns, with his best stretch coming over Weeks 8 and 9, when he posted a combined eight receptions for 87 yards against the Packers and Bucs, respectively. Atlanta's offense under Kyle Shanahan -- with its highly efficient two-back system, superstar No. 1 receiver, and effective second and third options -- didn't make much use of the tight end overall, limiting Hooper's upside in his first campaign. However, given his big-play ability, the team is likely to invest some time this offseason in looking for ways to integrate the Stanford product more consistently during the 2017 campaign.